Chris ST2025

Our Mission, Vision & Values

Our Mission

We are a Reform Jewish congregation actively committed to strengthening both individual and shared connections to God and to one another. We dedicate ourselves to meeting the spiritual, intellectual, social, and cultural needs of our members. With deep respect for the diversity of our backgrounds, traditions, and practices, we come together in worship, study, celebration, and social action.

Our Vision

Temple Concord strives to be a vibrant, inclusive Jewish home where every person feels known, valued, and connected.
We envision a congregation that:

  • Welcomes people of all ages, identities, and family structures with warmth and authenticity.

  • Inspires meaningful Jewish living rooted in tradition and responsive to the world we inhabit today.

  • Cultivates lifelong learning through rich engagement with Jewish texts, culture, and practice.

  • Serves as a beacon of justice, compassion, and hope — in Syracuse, throughout Central New York, and beyond.

  • Builds a strong and sustainable future for the next generation while honoring the wisdom of those who came before us.

Our Values

Community

We cherish the power and beauty of a caring, compassionate community — one that nurtures each of us and supports our shared growth, exploration, dreaming, and achievement.

Diversity

We embrace diversity in all its dimensions, recognizing that our congregation is strengthened by the breadth of our identities, backgrounds, beliefs, and practices. We actively welcome differences in ritual, tradition, and observance.

Jewish Education

We believe in lifelong Jewish learning for adults, teens, and children. Temple Concord is a home for engaging with Torah, Jewish texts, music, culture, and ideas that deepen our understanding and enrich our lives.

Tikkun Olam

We see ourselves as partners with God in repairing the world through mitzvot, acts of lovingkindness, and a commitment to justice. We defend religious freedom, protect human and civil rights, and work toward a sustainable, equitable future for all.

Jewish Continuity

Rooted in the richness of Jewish tradition and animated by the spirit of Reform Judaism, we honor the past while embracing the needs of a changing world. We ensure a vibrant Jewish future by keeping tradition and innovation in meaningful conversation.